Inspector recruitment and training
Alexandra Parish, deputy director at the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG), has written to local authority chief executives urging them to strengthen their building control teams, according to Roofing Today. The letter sets out workforce funding, changes to charging arrangements and digital processes for financial management and reporting.
Under the funded training arrangement, LABC will employ trainees for up to two years and second them to local authorities. Councils will not face a direct cost for those placements. They will also have no obligation to employ the trainees once their training ends, although the placements are intended to expand local capacity.
The workforce support covers both recruitment and training of new Registered Building Inspectors and further training for existing inspectors. This includes developing the skills needed to deal with more complex higher-risk buildings, rather than focusing solely on new entrants to the profession.
Recovering the cost of council services
The rules governing local authority building control charges were last updated in 2010. The proposed changes seek fuller recovery of service costs, including a proportion of overheads. Recruitment, training and professional development are among the costs the reforms are intended to cover.
MHCLG intends the charging changes to put services on a more financially sustainable basis. The stated aims also include better compliance with building regulations and continued investment in professional skills and staffing capacity.
A separate digital programme will examine whether a data standard could support charging and the publication of annual building control financial statements. The work is intended to make financial management and reporting more consistent and transparent, and improve understanding of what services cost and how sustainable they are.
Parliamentary process and delivery options
Roofing Today reported on 11 September 2026 that the reform regulations were due to go through Parliament shortly. Local authorities seeking access to the funded workforce opportunities were directed to contact LABC at info@labc.co.uk.
Other MHCLG funding will support exploration of alternative ways to deliver building control services. The department is inviting local authorities interested in different delivery approaches to take part. It places that work within local government reorganisation and wider public service reform.
The department links the combined measures to councils’ ability to support safe housing delivery, remediation and regeneration. Net zero and public safety are also among the stated objectives, giving the programme a remit beyond recruitment and the financing of inspection services.